Horsin’ Around — Kingston equestrians meet at Y-12

Fran Bowers (FI&S) and Dee Hess (Environmental Officer/AQEP) will take their horses to Columbus, Ohio, next month to compete in Equine Affaire’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition — a timed and judged race through an obstacle course created to test communication between horse and rider, horsemanship skills, and athletic prowess.

Fran Bowers (FI&S) and Dee Hess (Environmental Officer/AQEP) will take their horses to Columbus, Ohio, next month to compete in Equine Affaire’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition — a timed and judged race through an obstacle course created to test communication between horse and rider, horsemanship skills, and athletic prowess.

Contestants will compete for $5,500 in cash, as well as other prizes.

Fran and Dee are two of 30 selected from many applicants over several states. There will be thousands of spectators at the competition.

The Top 10 will perform in a final competition, and then five finishers will take home the prizes. Contestants are judged on horsemanship: How the horse and rider relate to each other, and how the horse is handled.

Most of the communication between horse and rider is through body language. Fran and Dee seldom use reins to control the horse because they can communicate with weight and pressure from their legs.

But it isn’t just a timed race — it’s a contest of finesse and teamwork. The horse must demonstrate bravery and trust in the rider to make it through the obstacles and the maneuvers.

This is the first time for either Dee or Fran to compete at this high level, though both grew up around horses. They met at Y-12 and began to train together.

They both realize that working with the horse is the most important thing — they try to learn “horse language” and create a partnership with their horses.

To prepare for the competition, Fran and Dee expose the horses to challenges, such as jumping, hearing gunshots, backward maneuvers, stepping up, down and over obstacles. Some of the obstacles at the competition could include walking up and down a teeter-totter, moving through curtains or tunnels, and jumping in the dark. The horse’s natural inclination is to run away from such things, but the rider can teach the horse to face fear and cope with uncertainty. The horse must learn to trust the rider (and vice versa).

Even though the preparation and competition are difficult, there are many benefits to this after-work activity. Both Fran and Dee agree that training and caring for their horses provides a great relief from job stress.

Once the work day is over, they concentrate on developing a partnership with their horses and daily training. That single focus makes other concerns disappear for a while.

And they have challenged each other to get in better shape before the competition — they are working on exercise and nutrition to prepare themselves for an exciting weekend in Ohio.

Fran’s horse is named “Do,” and she says that’s because she knows he can Do It.

Page 2 of 2 - Dee’s horse is named “Cash.” Though he is blind in one eye, he has learned to compensate and trust Dee to guide him through each challenge.

Bravery, trust and confidence — we could all learn a few lessons from these horses. The competition is April 11-14, but Dee and Fran are already winners.

Fran and Dee have a horse business in Kingston. For more information on Quarter Turn Ranch, call (865) 660-7433 or visit www.quarterturnranch.com.